Friday, April 19 2019 13:06

ArmInfo. Armenian Minister of Emergency Situations Feliks Tsolakyan opposes the merger of the Ministry of Emergency Situations with the Police. He stated this on  April 19 at a press conference, commenting on the talk about a  possible merger of the two structures.  "Whatever my answer is, it  will be subjective, since I'm an interested person. At the same time,  I would like to express my attitude,"  Tsolakyan noted.

As the head of the department pointed out, the functions of the  Ministry of Emergency Situations are purely humanistic, and the  Police carry out punitive functions. According to him, more than 600  items of equipment that are currently in the fleet of the Emergencies  Ministry, were transferred to the agency through humanitarian  channels. "In the case of a merger with the Police, humanitarian  assistance will be excluded," said Tsolakyan, stressing that he, in  principle, is against the creation of another super-ministry.  To  recall, on April 18, the National Assembly of Armenia in the first  reading amended the law "On the structure and activity of the  government." It is planned, in particular, to leave the posts of two  deputy prime ministers instead of three vice-premiers. In particular,  the post of First Deputy Prime Minister is being reduced. Of the 18  ministries, 12 will remain. For example, the Ministry of Sport and  Youth Affairs, the Ministry of Culture, the Ministry of Education and  Science are united in one structure - the Ministry of Education,  Science, Culture and Sport. The Ministry of Agriculture unites with  the Ministry of Economy into one single organization - the Ministry  of Economy of the Republic of Armenia. The Ministry of Energy  Infrastructures and Natural Resources unites with the Ministry of  Territorial Administration and Development into a single structure -  the Ministry of Territorial Administration and Infrastructures. The  functions of this department will also include all issues related to  transport. The new department will include a water management  committee, a civil aviation committee and a state property management  committee. The Ministry of Transport, Communications and Information  Technology will be renamed the Ministry of High-Tech Industry with  the exception of transport-related functions and the inclusion of  functions related to the digital economy and the military-industrial  complex. In the future, it is planned that the functions of the  committee of the military-industrial complex will fall to this state  structure. Instead of the Ministry of Diaspora, the institute of the  High Commissioner for Diaspora Affairs under the office of the Prime  Minister will begin to apply.